airberlin's service for families

Start your holiday feeling relaxed!

Booking and reductions

Children aged under 2* pay 15% of the net fare on all short and medium-haul flights, and 20% on all long-haul flights. Please note that additional taxes are charged in some individual cases.

Children under 12 years of age receive a discount of up to 20% on the net flight price of long-haul flights.

Please remember that, like adults, children must be in possession of a valid passport or ID at the start of their journey.

Seat reservations

Where possible, we allocate those travelling together adjacent seats at check-in. But in order to guarantee that the whole family is seated together, we recommend reserving seats in good time. You can reserve your seats as part of the booking process, at a later date under My Booking » or by telephoning our Service Center » up to 4 hours prior to departure. You can also use web check-in », which gives you the option of selecting adjacent seats without an advance seat reservation, thereby avoiding additional queuing at the airport.

Please note that on short and medium-haul flights in Economy Light (or JustFly and FlyDeal booked before 12/7/2016), a free choice of seating is not possible in Web Check-in.

Seats for infants under 2 years

Please note that a child under the age of 2 is not entitled to a seat and travels on the lap of the accompanying adult. You have the option of booking a separate seat for your infant, whereby the fare is the same as that for a child (under 12 years of age). The prerequisite for booking a children's ticket for an infant is that an approved child seat is used in order to ensure your child's safety. If your child has his/her 2nd birthday between the dates of the outward and return flights, you also have the option of booking a separate seat for the child for the outward flight by paying for a children's ticket. In this case, an approved child seat must also be used.

On board our aircraft, you have the option to use a baby cot (for babies up to 12 months old). This service is available on flights lasting 90 minutes or longer. For safety reasons, the cot will be issued only after the cruising altitude has been reached.

In order to use a baby cot on board, you must have a seat reservation in a row suitable for baby cots. You can reserve this seat directly during the online booking process or at a later date up to four hours before departure on airberlin.com under My Booking ». In addition, you can also contact our Service Centre to make your reservation. The rows suitable for baby cots are:

On short- and medium-haul flights, we can only offer this service in European Business Class.

On long-haul flights », the rows designated for use with cots are located at the front of the aircraft, across seats 15 D, E, F and G (these are XL seats with extra legroom) and at the rear of the cabin across seats 36 D, E, F and G. If you would like to use a cot, please reserve seats in the corresponding row.

Safety is a top priority for us. For this reason it is only possible to book one infant per adult passenger. Only one infant may be seated in each row.

Free baggage allowance for children

So that you don't have to leave their favourite cuddly toy or book at home, babies and children aged up to 11 are permitted to travel with one item of baggage. You can, of course, transport buggies/pushchairs, child car seats and carry cots for children under 12 years at no extra charge.

Exception in the Economy Light (formerly JustFly): no checked baggage is included in this fare category, but can be added at a later date. We accept buggies/pushchairs, child car seats and carry cots free of charge upon check-in.

More tips for travelling with children

Expectant mothers

Many expectant mothers are not sure whether they can plan a journey by air or what conditions apply if they do so. In most circumstances, there is nothing at all to worry about and it is still possible to travel up until 4 weeks before the baby is due. The return flight should also take place before this date. We take the comfort of our passengers very seriously, so if there is any doubt on whether the 36th week of pregnancy has been exceeded, we may ask the passenger to provide a medical certificate.

Booking before the baby is born

If you plan a journey before your baby is born, you are welcome to make the booking without providing the baby's details.

If your baby is born earlier than planned and arrives before the end of your trip, please contact our Service Center » providing your booking number. Your baby will then be booked in the same process at the current fare.

Tips for travelling with your baby

Travelling with an infant (child up to 2 years of age) can be particularly challenging. We have therefore put together a summary of the most important tips and advice to help you when travelling with your baby.

Depending on your destination, we recommend that you make an appointment for your child to see the doctor before leaving. Your doctor will give you information about any vaccinations that are deemed necessary.

Children/babies need a children's passport or ID card before commencing their journey.

Ask at the Check-in desk whether you can take your buggy/pushchair with you as far as the aircraft.

If you would like to use a bassinet on board, please remember to make a reservation at least 48 hours before departure by contacting our Service Center »

Depending on the departure and destination airports, different climatic conditions may prevail. On board our aircraft the temperature can feel quite cold for some passengers and too warm for others. Dress your child in several layers so that you can take clothes off or put them on as necessary. Also make sure you bring a pair of thick socks for your child.

Babies are not entitled to a separate seat during the flight; they must travel on their parent's lap, unless you book a separate seat for use with a child seat. During take-off and landing, the child is secured with a loop belt attached to their parent's seat belt. More information is available above under "Seat reservations".

Feed your child during climbing or descent. This will calm him/her and helps relieve pressure in the ears.

Baby food can be taken on board in any form. Our cabin crew will help you to warm bottles and jars. We will provide sufficient water for your baby bottles so that you do not need to buy this once you have passed through the security check.

On our flights you will be given a bag with a spare nappy, a feeding bottle and a bib, so that even our youngest passengers are well catered for.

Each WC is equipped with baby changing facilities.

Tips for travelling with your child

We have prepared a few tips and pieces of advice to ensure that your family is well prepared for your journey:

Depending on your destination, we recommend that you make an appointment for your child to see the doctor before leaving. Your doctor will give you information about any vaccinations that are deemed necessary.

Ask at the Check-in desk whether you can take your buggy/pushchair with you to the aircraft.

For children up to 7 years of age you may take your own child safety restraint system (see section on "child seat").

Depending on the departure and destination airports, different climatic conditions may prevail. On board our aircraft the temperature can feel quite cold for some passengers and too warm for others. Dress your child in several layers so that you can take clothes off or put them on as necessary.

Pack a pair of thick socks for your child. Passengers' feet will often swell due to varying pressure conditions and it is much more comfortable to take off one's shoes and put on warm socks instead.

Remember to take your child's favourite snacks with you. Of course we have a range of snacks and sweets on board for our guests, but your little ones will be delighted to eat the snacks they are used to.

Pack nasal spray to relieve a change in pressure in case your child has a cold. If your child generally has problems with changes in pressure, we recommend that you use special ear plugs for flying.

If so desired, you can order children's meals » on long-haul flights (at least 48 hours prior to departure).

Of course you can take your own child car seat on board free of charge provided that the following criteria are fulfilled:

The child restraint system must be approved for being secured by means of a two-point (lap) belt, as it is fixed using the seat belt attached to the aircraft seat and must remain in this position throughout the flight (including during takeoff and landing).The cabin crew will check on board before departure whether the child seat can be fitted.

Even booster seats conforming to the established test standard should not be used during take-off and landing and must therefore be stowed away in the overhead lockers or under the seat in front of you.

The type of child seats and child restraint systems that are suitable are those that

are approved by the authorities of a Member State of the Joint Aviation Authorities (JAA), the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) or Transport Canada for exclusive use in aircraft and are correspondingly labelled, or

approved in accordance with safety standard ECE-R44/03 or a newer version for use in cars, or

approved in accordance with Canadian standard CMVSS 213/213.1 for use in cars and aircraft, or

approved in accordance with US standard FMVSS Nr. 213 for use in cars and aircraft and are labelled with a sticker stating the following:

Please note that some aircraft in our fleet are not approved for using child restraint systems. You can find further information on this in the course of the booking process or from our Service-Center ».

As infants (i.e. children under 2) are not entitled to their own seat, an extra seat must be booked for infants to travel in a child seat. The fare is the same as that for a child under 12 years of age.

Please register your child restraint with our Service Center » up to 48 hours prior to departure. Upon registering, we will make a seat reservation.

Request a disabled seat shell

If you require the use of a special seat shell/seat aid for children who will need it during the flight because of a disability, a test must be carried out by TÜV Rheinland (Technical Inspectorate) and what is called a “flash certificate” must be issued. The cost of this certificate is borne by airberlin. Click here » to download an application form for a “flash certificate” which you should fill in and send to our email address Blitzgutachten@airberlin.com. Please complete pages 2-4; page 5 must be completed by the relevant doctor. Please note that the process takes about 10 days. This email address can only be used for questions about disabled seat shells.

Required travel documents

As of June 2012, children travelling abroad have to have their own passports. Entry in the parents passport is no longer acceptable.

In addition, you will find the relevant entry requirements that apply to all countries in the travel and security instructions of the foreign office concerned; these will also tell you which documents and precautionary measures are necessary.

*The age of the infant/baby on the day of the return flight is the one used.

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Questions & answers

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